Recruiter Spotlight: Amanda Cuda
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| Cuda (middle) at a recruiting fair (Image credit: USU SOM Office of Recruitment and Admissions) |
Q: What have you been up to since graduating
from the School of Medicine?
A. I graduated from USU in 2003 and completed
my residency training in Family Medicine at Tripler Army Medical Center in 2006. I’ve since been assigned as officer-in-charge of
two different Army clinics, chief of Primary Care, squadron Surgeon, and
teaching faculty in a family medicine residency program. I also completed a
fellowship in faculty development as well as a Master of Public Health
degree, and achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel. During 12 years of active duty, I traveled
to - and served in - Hawaii, Afghanistan, Fiji,
Georgia, Alaska, and Washington State.
In 2015, I joined the Army Reserves and am serving as
part of the Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA) teaching faculty as an assistant
professor in the Department of Family Medicine.
I’m also working in the South Puget Sound
area of Washington as a family physician.
I’m married to Army Lt.
Col. (Dr.) Scott Cuda, a fellow USU 2003 alumnus and pediatric urologist who is
assigned to Madigan Army Medical Center.
We have four children ages 9, 7, 5, and 2.
Q. Sounds like you’ve
been quite busy! What made you want to
become an Alumni Recruiter?
A. I’ve been an Alumni Recruiter for the past four years because USU gave me four of the best years of my life. It was a time when I grew into my calling as a military family physician, met my husband and many of our closest friends, and was mentored by amazing faculty. I’ve been honored to invest in current and future USU students as a way of giving back to USU and encourage future military physicians.
A. I’ve been an Alumni Recruiter for the past four years because USU gave me four of the best years of my life. It was a time when I grew into my calling as a military family physician, met my husband and many of our closest friends, and was mentored by amazing faculty. I’ve been honored to invest in current and future USU students as a way of giving back to USU and encourage future military physicians.
Q. Can you share what your experience as an Alumni
Recruiter has been like?
A. I’ve had the opportunity to visit schools in Ohio (Case Western Reserve), Oregon (OSU and University of Oregon), Washington (Seattle University), as well as numerous schools in California (UCLA, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC San Diego). My favorite part about traveling to these locations is meeting and talking with students. I want to understand the generation of future physicians, and hearing the stories of pre-med students is really helpful. I remember visiting Case Western Reserve last fall and sitting with post-baccalaureate students in conversation for five hours! The topics were so engaging that we didn’t notice when the department was closing around us.
In the future, I would be interested in traveling
to the Midwest, the Southeast, and my undergraduate alma mater, Wheaton College
in Illinois, to speak with prospective students and share my experiences as
both a student at USU and physician in the U.S. Army.
Q. Why do you think it’s important to
volunteer as a recruiter?
A. There are many advantages. Recruiters have the opportunity to provide a
first look at many future military physicians, and the Office of Recruitment
and Admissions really listens to our opinions.
It is also an excellent way to learn about the generations of future
medical students to develop as an educator.
Importantly, as recruiters we can influence the quality of students that
are accessioned for the future.
Our alumni
and students are our best ambassadors. If
you are a USU alumnus interested in becoming a recruiter, please complete this
form: USU Alumni RecruitingRegistration Form
